Center for Strategic and International Studies - Washington, District of Columbia

LegendarySilver

I regret to inform that my experience at the CSIS "summer program" was nothing short of a nightmare. Marketed as an educational and developmental opportunity, it turned out to be a grueling ordeal of unpaid labor, under the guise of professional development.

Our days began at 8 AM and stretched endlessly until near midnight, filled with back-to-back tasks with barely any breaks. It was clear that we were not participants in a learning program but rather cheap labor to be exploited. The workload was immense, and the support was minimal, leaving us drained and demoralized by the end of each day.

The promise of hotel accommodations was the only "perk," if it can even be called that, used to justify the unrelenting schedule and lack of proper meals. The food provided was barely adequate, lacking in both quantity and nutrition, which only added to the overall misery of the experience.

Overall, this program was not only a misrepresentation of what was promised but also an unethical treatment of students eager to learn and grow. I strongly discourage anyone from joining this program unless significant changes are made to respect and nurture the participants rather than exploit them.

시온 Zion

I enrolled in the CSIS summer program expecting a valuable educational experience, but instead, I was subjected to what felt like exploitation under the guise of professional development. The program's reality was far from what was advertised, and I cannot express enough how misled and disappointed I feel.

The "program" consisted of relentless unpaid labor, starting at 8 AM and dragging on until midnight, with only short breaks that barely allowed us time to catch our breath. We were essentially treated as free labor, with our tasks ranging from menial to moderately complex, none of which were educational or offered any real insight into the field.

The organizers claimed that the provision of hotel accommodations justified the intense workload and lack of proper compensation. However, this is unacceptable and does not compensate for the exploitation we endured. Moreover, the food situation was appalling—often insufficient and lacking in variety, leaving us hungry and unable to perform even at minimal capacity.

This program is an outright exploitation of students, and I advise anyone considering it to steer clear unless substantial changes are made. The CSIS summer program is in dire need of a complete overhaul to ensure it offers genuine learning experiences rather than exploiting enthusiastic learners.

The Inquiry

Beautiful building with a coterie of professional specialists in their respective fields of study and employment responsibilities. CSIS has been one in a very limited selection of primary resources for valid, timely, & reliable information pertaining to a multiplicity of international programs, organizations, & conditions.
For anyone serious about harvesting access to timely & accurate global information resource(s), I encourage you to participate & read the vital news from CSIS.
In reference to the building: it is absolutely gorgeous with conference rooms & offices which are state of the art. The building is a physical manifestation of the class-distinction CSIS has earned.
I can’t speak highly enough of their format, research, & function. Please vet your resources and when you find CSIS is at the pinnacle of excellence, continue to read their articles & bask in the glory of having an astute synopsis of current events.
Thank you CSIS & your association, specialized programs for providing (me) the insight and wisdom I struggle to “decipher” elsewhere, & for the general knowledge pertaining to current events.

o 0

Very Unpleasant business with CSIS. Lack of IT professionalism. CSIS employees put frozen food bag(plastic) on other's equipment that will make water from moisture, eating, playing game during the event, stream not via Landline, not enough Audio lines based on RSVP numbers, Lack of professionalism. This is a Think tank I know! but you have enough funding for IT crews. STAY OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!!!WHERE IS YOUR FIRST DAY ATTITUDE?

John Kim

CSIS' Security agendas for the Rockefellers.

Biruk Yibas

Incredible place ? I wish there every weekend

Russ Watts

One of the best think tanks in DC.

Mohamed Fuad

Good